Learning Ukulele with Curt

Jazz Ukulele: Jazz Lessons

A few Lessons for Jazz Ukulele to Get Started With

All available lessons tagged with the subject of Jazz.

UL42-7alt

Altered Seventh Chords on `Ukulele

Updated: 04 Apr 2014

Beyond basic open position chords, basic movable form chords, and a core set of 4-part chords. There are just too many chords shapes too memorize. Learning the principles of how chords are constructed and the ukulele fingerboard are the way to go. You can then create more advanced chords like 9#11, 7#5-9, 13b5, 7+9 on the fly as needed from your core set of chords.

UL42-7

Core Chords - The Big Six - Building a Solid Chord Foundation

Updated: 07 Sep 2021

The Big Six Core Chords is a series of lessons for building your core, essential 4-part chords. These chords commonly called jazz chords, are really just 4-part chords used in a wide range of musical styles. These chords include: Seventh , Major Seventh, Minor Seventh, Half Diminished Seventh or Minor Seven Flat Five, Diminished Seventh, and Augmented Seventh. These six chords form a core set of chords.

UL123

Exploring Jazz ``Ukulele

Updated: 24 Jun 2009

Wikipedia defines "Jazz" as a musical art form which originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States from a confluence of African and European music traditions. The style's West African pedigree is evident in its use of blue notes, improvisation, polyrhythms, syncopation, and the swung note.

UL04

Six Essential Scales for `Ukulele

Updated: 09 Nov 2021

The six essential scales are: Blues Major Pentatonic Mixolydian Dorian Aeolian and Ionian From the six essential scales, you can get through a wide variety of traditional and contemporary music. A scale is simply a collection of pitches or notes, not really a "this is a Jazz scale", "this is a Blues" or "this is a Rock scale". It's how a scale is used that really matters not its name.

UL25b

Diminished Scale for `Ukulele - C Tuning

Updated: 14 Jul 2022

The "Diminished Scale" is a symmetrical scale with a repeating pattern of whole steps and half steps. You only need three Diminished scales to cover all 15 keys.

UL25

Whole Tone Scale for `Ukulele - C Tuning

Updated: 14 Jul 2022

The "Whole Tone scale" is a symmetrical scale with an equal distance been each note or scale degree.

UL42-ext

Upper Partial Chord Tones

Updated: 03 Feb 2017

Upper Partials or extensions for chords are the 9th, 11th, and 13ths of a chord. The 9, 11 and 13 can be altered chord tones depending on the type: e.g: b9, #9, #11, b13. These numbers, the 9, 11 and 13 refer to the scale tone/chord tone relative to the major scale used for building all chords.

UL110

What is the Difference Between a Scale and a Mode?

Updated: 08 Jun 2023

The terms "scale" and "mode" are often used interchangeably, but strictly speaking, there is a significant difference between them in music theory. Although they may share the same set of notes, a scale and a mode or modal scale are not the same thing. It's important to note that a scale and a mode can contain the same notes.

UL125c

Classic Endings for `Ukulele

Updated: 08 Nov 2022

Two Feel, bVImaj7 bIImaj7, Basie Ending, Single, Double and Triple Tags, Chromatic, Take 'A' Train Ending, Shave and a Hair Cut, Lawrence Welk Ending. These are common classic songs ending that are used over and over in the standard song repertoire.

UL115

Exploring Improvisation on `Ukulele Using Tetrachords

Updated: 12 Jan 2014

Traditionally, a "Tetrachord" is a series of four tones filling in the interval of a perfect fourth. In modern usage a tetrachord is any four-note segment of a scale or tone row including the augmented fourth (+4). The term tetrachord derives from ancient Greek music theory, it literally means four strings.

UL125b

Creating Introductions and Turnarounds for `Ukulele

Updated: 20 Mar 2020

Introductions are a composed or improvised pieces of music that introduce - sets the stage for - a song or composition. Introductions, or intro for short, are used in all types of music. In this lesson, the focus is on introductions in contemporary pop, rock, blues, country, folk and jazz styles.

UL118

Alternate Fingerings for F7

Updated: 19 Jan 2014

Alternate fingerings for F7 in C tuning. The same fingerings would apply to C7 in G tuning and G7 in D tuning.

UL124

The Harmonized Major and Minor Scale Charts

Updated: 11 Jan 2022

The "Major Scale" or Ionian scale is a diatonic scale, made up of seven distinct notes, plus an eighth which duplicates the first one octave higher. In solfege these notes correspond to the syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti/Si, (Do), the Do in the parenthesis at the end being the octave of the root.

UL42-misc-t

Transposing Individual `Ukulele Chords

Updated: 24 Jun 2022

"Transposition" is the process of moving a note, chord, scale or any musical passage from one key to another key. All music can be transposed, from a single note to a complex musical score. This lesson deals with transposing chords on ukulele and transposing chords.

UL31seq

Practice Cycles and Sequences

Updated: 11 May 2023

Sequences and cycles for practicing scales, intervals, melodic sequences and arpeggios.

GL02

Exploring Core Chords on Guitar using Strings 1 2 3 4 and C Blues

Updated: 02 Jan 2005

Using chord "Voice Leading" principles we will explore all 4 voicings of core seventh chords using string family 1 2 3 4 chords.

UL42-misc-name

Naming Chords on `Ukulele

Updated: 02 Jan 2024

A Chord can have alternate names based on how it is being used. A chord's function is an important determining factor in naming a chord. So unless you know the harmonic function of a given chord, you might not be able to accurately name it.

UL34

Creating Cool `Ukulele Chords

Updated: 13 Mar 2015

Cool Chords - These are the chords do not typically show up in chord dictionaries or song books. These are the chords players ask, "What is that chord?"

UL34a

Cool `Ukulele Chords - G7

Updated: 13 Mar 2015

A non-traditional fingering for the G7 chord using the knowledge that the notes of a G7 chord are G B D F.

UL42-7d

Core Chords - Creating the Big Six from F7, 4th Voicing

Updated: 02 Feb 2020

Taking a movable "F7" chord, you can derive each of the Big Six Core Chords. 7, maj7, m7, m7b5, dim7, and aug7 from that voicing.

UL42-7c

Core Chords - Creating the Big Six from F7, 3rd Voicing

Updated: 23 Jan 2020

Taking a movable "F7" chord, you can derive each of the Big Six Core Chords. 7, maj7, m7, m7b5, dim7, and aug7 from that voicing.

UL42-7a

Core Chords - Creating the Big Six from F7, 1st Voicing

Updated: 23 Jan 2020

Taking a movable "F7" chord, you can derive each of the Big Six Core Chords. 7, maj7, m7, m7b5, dim7, and aug7 from that voicing.

UL42-7b

Core Chords - Creating the Big Six from F7, 2nd Voicing

Updated: 23 Jan 2020

Taking a movable "F7" chord, you can derive each of the Big Six Core Chords. 7, maj7, m7, m7b5, dim7, and aug7 from that voicing.

UL04j

Essential Jazz Scales for `Ukulele

Updated: 06 Apr 2020

After you mastering the six essentials scales below and start to explore more advanced styles of music, especially jazz. There are a few more scales that are needed to cover the broader harmonic palette that a typical jazz tune draws from.

UL42L2-6

The Big Six Core Chords - F6, Four Voicings

Updated: 30 Jun 2014

The Big Six Core Chords: "F6". This is the Level II of your core 4-part "Jazz" chords. The F6 is a 1 3 5 6 of the major scale, based on the root of the chord. A major 6th chord can be derived either from a seventh or major seventh chord. From a seventh chord lower the flat seventh one fret. From a major seventh chord lower the natural seventh two frets.

UL601-A

Exploring Jazz Chords on `Ukulele, Standard Example - All of Me

Updated: 09 Apr 2019

Using the jazz standard "All of Me" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-B

Exploring Jazz Chords on `Ukulele, Standard Example - All of Me

Updated: 09 Apr 2019

Using the jazz standard "All of Me" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-C

Exploring Jazz Chords on `Ukulele, Standard Example - Autumn Leaves

Updated: 26 Nov 2021

Using the jazz standard "Autumn Leaves" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-D

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - All the Things You Are

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "All the Things You Are" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-E

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - The Days of Wine and Roses

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "The Days of Wine and Roses" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-F

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - There Will Never Be Another You

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "There Will Never Be Another You" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-G

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Back Home in Indiana

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "Back Home in Indiana" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-H

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Someday My Prince Will Come

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "Someday My Prince Will Come" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-I

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Have You Met Miss Jones

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "Have You Met Miss Jones" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-J

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Summer Samba

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "Summer Samba" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-K

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Sweet Georgia Brown

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "Sweet Georgia Brown" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-L

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Sweet Georgia Brown

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

A variation of the previous lessons using the jazz standard "Sweet Georgia Brown" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-M

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Yesterday

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the classic Beatles cone by Paul McCartney "Yesterday" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-N

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - It's Only a Paper Moon

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "It's Only a Paper Moon" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-Q

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Take the A Train

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "Take the A Train" to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL601-P

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Example - Satin Doll

Updated: 14 Mar 2013

Using the jazz standard "Satin Doll" to explore jazz chords on ukulele. This also a great song for an introduction and exploring the very common, "II V" harmonic cell.

UL601-O

Exploring Jazz Chords on Ukulele, Standard Varition Example - Satin Doll

Updated: 14 Jan 2021

A variation using the jazz standard Satin Doll to explore jazz chords on ukulele.

UL42L2-m6

The Big Six Core Chords - Fm6, Four Vocings

Updated: 14 Jan 2021

The Big Six Core Chords: "Fm6". This is the Level II of your core 4-part "Jazz" chords. The Fm6 is a 1 b3 5 6 of the major scale, based on the root of the chord. A minor 6th chord can be derived either from a minor seventh or major sixth chord. From a minor seventh chord lower the flat seventh one fret. From a major sixth chord lower the natural third one fret.

UL37d

4-Part Movable 7th Chord Forms

Updated: 02 Apr 2013

Based on the open position seventh chords: A7, C7, E7, and G7. These movable seventh forms allow you to transpose the open position seventh chords to any key.

UL42-7i

The Big Six Core Chords - F7, four voicings, Chord Intervals

Updated: 15 May 2019

The Big Six Core Chords - Level I: "F7" is created from the "1 3 5 b7" of the major scale, based on the root of the chord. For "F7" the chord tones are: F A C Eb. This lesson introduces the four "F7" voicings on the string set, strings 1, 2. 3, and 4. The Chords are shown for C Tuning, Low and High G.

UL42-7n

The Big Six Core Chords - F7, four voicings - Chord Tones

Updated: 21 Nov 2022

Learning the locations of the chord tones - the actual names of the "F7" chords, the foundation chord for our Big Six Core Chords.

UL42-7p

The Big Six Core Chords - F7, Four Voicings, Learning Process

Updated: 12 Jun 2015

The Big Six Core Chords - "F7", four voicings. From shape to chord tones to intervals and back again. Really, learning what a chord is made of.

UL42L3-dimL7

Core Chords for Ukulele - Diminished Major Seventh, Four Voicings

Updated: 23 Sep 2013

A rare chord, a diminished triad with a major seventh. Used the support the melody when the melody is the major seventh.

UL114d

4-part Contemporary Chords, a.k.a. Jazz Chords

Updated: 17 Nov 2014

Core Chords is a series of lessons for building your 4-part chords. These chords commonly called jazz chords, are really just 4-part chords used in a wide range of musical styles. Beyond basic open position chords, basic movable form chords and a core set of 4-part chords. There are just too many chords shapes too memorize. Learning the principles of how chords are constructed and the ukulele fingerboard are the way to go. Then you can create more advanced chords like 9#11, 7#5-9, 13b5, 7+9 on the fly as needed.

UL42-7-dom

Dominant Seventh Chords?

Updated: 27 Feb 2024

Not all seventh chords are actually "dominant" seventh chords. This lesson covers when is a Dominant Seventh Chord NOT truly a Dominant seventh?

UL42

Core Chords - Building a Solid Foundation of Contemporary Chords

Updated: 11 Nov 2013

"Core Chords" are a concept that I typically apply to 4-part chords and your more contemporary modern chords. This where a solid foundation of a core set of chords really help in learning the massive amount of chords that are required for play contemporary music or jazz on ukulele or guitar. Not such a task on ukulele with on one four string set of strings to build your 4-part chords vs. the theoretically possible 15 sets available for guitar.

UL115b

Tetrachords: Lydian (1 2 3 #4)

Updated: 12 Jan 2014

Traditionally, a tetrachord is a series of four tones filling in the interval of a perfect fourth. In modern usage a tetrachord is any four-note segment of a scale or tone row including the augmented fourth (+4). The term tetrachord derives from ancient Greek music theory, it literally means four strings.

UL42-7j

Building a Solid Jazz Chord Foundation for `Ukulele

Updated: 12 Oct 2015

Commonly called "Jazz Chords", these more sophisticated, contemporary chord voicings find their way into a wide variety of music forms and styles. This lesson is the first on the series that builds your core foundation for these chords.

ULSD01

Secondary Dominant V of ...

Updated: 17 Sep 2022

A "Secondary Dominant" chord is defined as any seventh chord built on a scale root that is diatonic to the key that resolves up a perfect fourth or down a perfect fifth to a full diatonic chord. These chords function as a dominant (V) chord to the next chord, serving to temporarily tonicize the following chord.

UL42L1

The Big Six Core Chords - Level I

Updated: 15 May 2019

The Big Six chords include: Seventh 7, Major Seventh, Minor Seventh, Half Diminished Seventh or Minor Seven Flat Five diminished 7 , Diminished Seventh and Augmented Seventh. These six chords form a core set of chords.

UL42L1-maj7

The Big Six Core Chords - Fmaj7, Four Voicings

Updated: 04 Jan 2016

The Big Six Core Chords, Level I - Fmaj7, four voicings. Fmaj7 is a 1 3 5 7 of the major scale, based on the root of the chord. These are the four Fmaj7 chord voicings that will be used for deriving other major seventh derived chords. There are far too many chord shapes to memorize thousands of shapes.

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